UCLA football wide receiver Jake Bobo spoke to reporters following Monday morning's practice session at Wasserman Football Center. Bobo talked about what is was like in the locker room following the loss to Oregon on Saturday, how quarterback Dorian Thomspon-Robinson has played the role of motivator on the sideline, how he likes to carry himself compared to his teammates, how the Bruins can get better going against man coverage and what he knows about the recent history between UCLA and Stanford.
First time tasting defeat with UCLA – what was that like and how do you bounce back?
Um, well it sucked. I mean, yeah. Losing's never fun, especially with this team, we've got some competitors in that locker room. So the locker room after the game, it wasn't a good time, um yeah, I wouldn't be jealous you weren't in there. But again, you know, coach harps on it every day, even when we were winning, onto the next thing. Whether it's good or it's bad, we're onto the next thing, and that's kinda how we're treating this one. Got a big one on Saturday, came in, watched the film some this weekend and then this morning, kinda put that to bed and then we're moving on to Stanford.
Situations of Dorian motivating you during practice or a game?
Um, it's hard to pinpoint one because, I mean, there's a lot, just in the little subtle things. I think when he comes back to the sideline during the game, he's clapping, he's getting guys going, did that some on Saturday when we were down. But then just in practice, kinda how he attacks every day, I think, is good to see for us. You know, he doesn't take a whole lot of plays off, if any. He's a guy that, and I've said it before, but once he steps on a field, it's go time, whether it's Monday morning or it's Saturday afternoon, Saturday night, which is awesome for us to see and it motivates us as well.
Do you match that fiery energy or do you have your own way of going about the game?
I would like to kinda consider myself as just kinda a little more steady. Now, you need a little bit of everything – could I use a little more fire at times? Heck yeah, I think some of those guys would tell you that. But I kinda just like to be a steady presence, whether we're up, whether we're down, just keeping guys going, staying positive, being encouraging cause we come back to the sideline, it's a lot of critiquing going on, whether we're up 40 or down 40. So I kinda just like to be the guy to be steady, keep guys up.
Oregon's secondary effective in limiting separation – doing anything you hadn't seen this season?
I mean, they're just good. Those are some talented guys over there – Gonzalez, 11, I don't remember his last name, 4, the nickel, those guys are talented. You know, they can run with anybody. Now, like you said, do we have to do a better job getting some separation versus some man coverage scheme? Yeah, that's something we'll work on next week, something we saw on tape and need to do a little more of going forward.
Anything special about the way UCLA combines academics and athletics?
I don't know about unique, I would just say the expectations are unique. So that, in and of itself is a little different. You know, you gotta go to class to survive academically here. I don't want to speak on other schools, but I'd imagine it's a little easier to kinda just scoot your way past in some classes. But I know guys here that gotta go to class in order to keep grades up, stay eligible. But then also, I think, guys here are dual-minded as well. We love playing ball and we love coming out here every day, but also we know the old cliche '40 years, not four,' whatever 'The decision's 40 years, not four,' it is cliche, it's overused, but it's true, especially at this school.
Any more difficult to abide by that 24 hour rule when it's a loss compared to a win?
It is, it is. I think, yeah, victories are easier cause you kinda feel a little bit better about yourself and your team and moving forward. Now, I think if you kinda take the things that we got on Saturday and use it to kinda fuel you and motivate you and find things that we can get better at – you mentioned separation vs. man coverage a little bit better – you can carry that a little bit more into the week and use that as a focus on Saturday. But, you know, you gotta flush it at the end of the day, the result. Now, there are things within the game that you can take and move forward with, but the 24 hour rule kinda sticks to just the loss itself. Don't let one loss beat you twice.
Did the rest of the team kind of brief you on UCLA-Stanford history?
I haven't gotten a lot of it. I know it's been a battle, at least the past couple years, those guys have been good and I think have beaten these guys the last couple years. And they're talented, they're good once again
Stanford won 11 in a row at one point
Oh, ok. But it's not 11 in a row right now?
No
Alright, alright. No, I gotta do my research on that, for sure.
Playing some air drums to 'I'm Shipping Up to Boston" at practice? Like that song or generally like to keep it loose in the morning?
Um, so I'm from outside of Boston and that's kinda the anthem up there. So that kinda keeps me going, especially on Monday mornings when you're dragging a little bit, I get a little Dropkick Murphys going. But yeah, I like to stay loose, for the most part, and that's an opportunity to do so.
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